UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PUBLICATIONS 

COLLEGE  OF  AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 


Trials  with  California  Silage  Crops 
for  Dairy  Cows 


BY 
F.  W.  WOLL  and  E.  C.  VOORHIES 


BULLETIN  No.  282 

August,  1917 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PRESS 

BERKELEY 

1917 


Benjamin  Ide  Wheeler,  President  of  the  University. 

EXPEKIMENT  STATION  STAFF 

HEADS  OF  DIVISIONS 

Thomas  Forsyth  Hunt,  Director. 

Edward  J.  Wickson,  Horticulture  (Emeritus). 

Herbert  J.  Webber,  Director  Citrus  Experiment  Station;  Plant  Breeding. 

Hubert  E.  Van  Norman,  Vice-Director;  Dairy  Management. 

William  A.  Setchell,  Botany. 

Myer  E.  Jaffa,  Nutrition. 
*Eobert  H.  Loughridge,  Soil  Chemistry  and  Physics   (Emeritus). 

Charles  W.  Woodworth,  Entomology. 

Balph  E.  Smith,  Plant  Pathology. 

J.  Eliot  Coit,  Citriculture. 

John  W.  Gilmore,  Agronomy. 

Charles  F.  Shaw,  Soil  Technology. 

John  W.  Gregg,  Landscape  Gardening  and  Floriculture. 

Frederic  T.  Bioletti,  Viticulture  and  Enology. 

Warren  T.  Clarke,  Agricultural  Extension. 

John  S.  Burd,  Agricultural  Chemistry. 

Charles  B.  Lipman,  Soil  Chemistry  and  Bacteriology. 

Clarence  M.  Haring,  Veterinary  Science  and  Bacteriology. 

Ernest  B.  Babcock,  Genetics. 

Gordon  H.  True,  Animal  Husbandry. 

James  T.  Barrett,  Plant  Pathology. 

Fritz  W.  Woll,  Animal  Nutrition. 

Walter  Mulford,  Forestry. 

W.  P.  Kelley,  Agricultural  Chemistry. 

H.  J.  Quayle,  Entomology. 

D.  T.  Mason,  Forestry. 

J.  B.  Davidson,  Agricultural  Engineering. 

Elwood  Mead,  Bural  Institutions. 

H.  S.  Eeed,  Plant  Physiology. 

W.  L.  Howard,  Pomology. 
fFRANK  Adams,  Irrigation  Practice. 

C.  L.  Eoadhouse,  Dairy  Industry. 

William  G.  Hummel,  Agricultural  Education. 

John  E.  Dougherty,  Poultry  Husbandry. 

S.  S.  Bogers,  Olericulture. 

David  N.  Morgan,  Assistant  to  the  Director. 

Mrs.  D.  L.  Bunnell,  Librarian. 

DIVISION  OF  ANIMAL  HUSBANDEY 
Gordon  H.  True  E.  C.  Voorhies 

F.  W.  Woll  E.  P.  Eoyce 

J.  I.  Thompson  Cora  J.  Hill 

E.  F.  Miller 


*  Died  July  1,  1917. 

f  In  co-operation  with  office  of  Public  Eoads   and  Bural  Engineering,  U.    S. 
Department  of  Agriculture. 


Trials  with  California  Silage  Crops  for  Dairy  Cows 


BY 

F.  W.  WOLL  and  E.  C.  VOOEHIES 


In  the  central  and  eastern  states  where  the  silo  first  became  gen- 
erally introduced  on  dairy  and  stock  farms,  Indian  corn  is  by  far 
the  most  important  silage  crop.  This  is  at  the  present  of  minor  im- 
portance as  a  forage  crop  in  this  state  and  will  probably  always  remain 
so;  we  have,  on  the  other  hand,  a  number  of  other  crops  that  have 
proved  well  adapted  for  the  silo,  especially  varieties  of  the  sorghum 
family,  both  of  the  saccharine  and  non-saccharine  sorghums;  also 
small  grains,  Sudan  grass,  rye  grass  and  clover,  alfalfa,  etc.  Consider- 
able practical  experience  with  most  of  these  crops  has  been  accumu- 
lated by  this  time,  as  regards  their  adaptability  for  the  silo  and  the 
value  of  the  resulting  silage.  Accurate  experimental  data  bearing 
on  these  questions  are,  however,  still  limited,  in  spite  of  the  interest 
in  the  subject  among  dairy  farmers  and  stock  men  and  its  importance 
to  them. 

In  order  to  furnish  reliable  information  as  to  the  value  of  .these 
silage  crops,  especially  to  the  dairy  farmer,  the  Animal  Husbandry 
Division  of  the  College  has  conducted  a  series  of  siloing  and  feeding 
experiments  with  a  number  of  the  crops  mentioned  during  the  past 
four  years.  This  bulletin  presents  brief  accounts  of  these  experiments 
and  such  general  discussions  of  the  subject  as  are  deemed  of  direct 
value  to  our  farmers.  Circular  138  of  the  College  of  Agriculture, 
entitled  "The  Silo  in  California  Agriculture,"  furnishes  information 
on  the  general  subject  of  the  making  and  feeding  of  silage,  and  only 
conditions  peculiar  to  the  special  crops  mentioned  will  be  discussed 
in  this  bulletin. 

During  the  period  given,  trials  have  been  conducted  at  the  Uni- 
versity Farm  with  the  following  silage  crops:  Indian  corn,  milo, 
feterita,  sweet  sorghum,  alfalfa,  Sudan  grass,  green  oats  and  barley 
(volunteer  grain),  and  more  or  less  extended  feeding  experiments 
with  these  crops  have  been  made  with  a  view  to  determining  their 
value  to  the  dairy  and  stock  farmer.  It  has  not  been  practicable  to 
make  detailed  studies  of  the  chemical  changes  involved  in  the  siloing 
of  these  crops,  or  the  losses  of  feed  components  in  the  siloing  process, 
but  samples  of  the  green  forage  crops  and  of  the  resulting  silage  have 
been  taken  in  all  cases  and  have  been  analyzed  in  the  Nutrition  Labor- 


20  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

atory  at  Berkeley,  through  the  kind  assistance  of  Professor  M.  E. 
Jaffa,  chief  of  the  laboratory. 

SILOS  AT  THE  UNIVEESITY  FAKM 
The.  silo  equipment  of  the  University  Farm  during  the  past  three 
years  has  consisted  of  the  four  silos  described  in  the  circular  referred 
to  above,1  and  of  an  Ideal  Green-Feed  Silo,  erected  October,  1915, 
near  the  beef  barn  (dimensions  14  by  36  feet;  cost  of  silo,  complete 
with  roof  and  anchors,  $281.95).  With  the  four  silos  previously  built, 
this  gives  us  a  total  theoretical  silo  capacity  of  nearly  600  tons  of 
corn  silage,  or  slightly  over  400  tons  in  case  of  silage  crops  that  do 
not  pack  as  well  as  Indian  corn.  Since  most  tables  of  silo  capacities 
are  constructed  on  the  basis  of  data  obtained  with  Indian  corn  cut 
at  a  rather  early  stage  of  growth,  the  figures  will  be  20  to  30  per  cent 
lower  in  the  case  or*  lighter  materials  containing  less  water  or  com- 
posed of  finer  stems  and  leaves  than  Indian  corn.  Under  our  climatic 
conditions  the  system  of  crop  production  can,  however,  be  readily 
arranged  so  that  silos  may  be  filled  twice  a  year,  and  a  given  silo 
capacity  thus  doubled. 

The  following  two  tables  will  show  the  main  facts  relating  to  the 
silage  crops  during  the  past  two  seasons.  It  will  be  noted  that  the 
following  crops  were  siloed  during  the  season  of  1915:  Indian  corn, 
milo,  feterita,  and  sweet  sorghum,  and  in  1916,  Indian  corn,  alfalfa, 
Sudan  grass,  feterita,  and  sweet  sorghum.  The  crops  were  in  all  cases 
grown  on  grain  land  and  were,  therefore,  planted  later  in  the  season 
than  would  be  the  case  on  spring-plowed  land.  The  yields  per  acre 
of  the  various  crops,  dates  of  planting,  irrigation  and  harvesting  and 
total  green  forage  placed  in  the  silos  are  given  in  all  cases.2 

The  average  yields  per  acre  of  the  different  crops  during  the  two 
seasons  are  as  follows :  Indian  corn,  10.2  tons,  milo,  11.3  tons,  feterita, 
10.0  tons,  Sudan  grass,  12.2  tons,  and  sweet  sorghum,  14.7  tons  (Early 
Amber,  13.4,  Honey,  19.3,  and  Orange,  22.7).  These  figures  are  for 
crops  grown  on  dry  land  or  receiving  one  irrigation  only.  Since  the 
rainfall  for  the  two  seasons  from  which  the  data  were  obtained  was 
about  normal,  the  figures  may  be  taken  to  represent  approximately 
the  yields  of  the  various  crops  that  may  be  expected  under  conditions 
similar  to  those  prevailing  in  central  Sacramento  Valley  in  case  of 
clay  loam  soils  in  a  good  state  of  fertility.3 

i  Circular  138,  p.  13. 

2  The  data  as  to  growing  of  crops  and  filling  of  the  silos  have  been  furnished 
by  Professor  Thomas  Tavernetti,  assistant  to  Dean  of  University  Farm  School. 

3  Bull.  278,  Coll.  of  Agric,  Univ.  of  Calif.,  p.  343. 


TRIALS  WITH   CALIFORNIA  SILAGE   CROPS   FOR  DAIRY   COWS  21 


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22  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Data  for  average  yields  of  dry  matter  and  of  digestible  feed  com- 
ponents calculated  on  basis  of  average  gross  yields  and  percentage 
dry  matter  and  estimated  digestible  matter  in  the  crops,  are  presented 
in  the  following  table.  The  figures  given  will  indicate  the  relative 
value  of  the  respective  silage  crops  for  feed  production. 

Table   III. — Average   Yields   of   Silage   Crops   per   Acre,    1915-1916 

Dry  matter,  Digestible  matter, 

Tonnage  pounds  pounds 

Indian  corn  10.2  6622  4106 

Sweet    sorghum    14.7  5822  3318 

Milo    11.3  5990  3294 

Feterita    10.0  8740  4804 

Sudan   grass   12.2  4442  2530 


The  per  acre  yield  of  dry  matter  and  total  digestible  matter  for 
feterita  was  higher  than  that  of  the  other  varieties,  Indian  corn  com- 
ing second,  with  milo,  sweet  sorghum,  and  Sudan  grass  following  in 
the  order  given.  The  feterita  did  not  give  as  high  tonnage  as  the 
other  silage  crops,  but  the  crop  contained  a  considerably  higher  per- 
centage of  dry  matter  at  the  time  of  harvest  than  any  of  the  other 
crops,  viz.,  43.7  per  cent,  against  25.5  per  cent  for  Indian  corn,  34.1 
per  cent  for  Sudan  grass,  26.5  per  cent  for  milo,  and  19.75  per  cent 
as  the  average  for  the  sweet  sorghum  varieties.  'The  feterita  silage, 
on  the  other  hand,  was  less  palatable  to  stock  than  any  of  the  other 
silages,  in  part  at  least  due  to  the  advanced  stage  of  growth  at  which 
the  crop  was  siloed.  The  heads  made  up  about  28  per  cent  of  the 
total  weight  of  the  crop  at  the  time  of  cutting,  when  the  seed  was 
hard  and  fully  matured.  Water  was  added  to  the  green  forage  as  it 
went  into  the  silo.  The  resulting  silage  was  of  good  clean  flavor,  of 
medium  acidity  and  free  from  molds,  but  as  suggested,  was  not  eaten 
by  the  stock  as  readily  or  in  as  large  amounts  as  other  kinds  of  silage. 
With  our  present  limited  experience  with  this  silage,  it  cannot  be 
stated  definitely  whether  a  better  quality,  so  far  as  palatability  goes, 
might  be  obtained  if  the  crop  was  siloed  before  the  seed  was  fully 
matured  or  if  more  water  be  added  during  the  filling  of  the  silo.  It 
may  be  said  in  general,  however,  that  all  the  above  crops  experimented 
with  will  make  satisfactory  silages  and  that  the  particular  crop  which 
is  likely  to  do  best  in  each  locality  should  be  grown  for  the  silo.  So 
far  as  palatability  and  general  value  as  a  silage  crop  goes,  our  present 
experience  would  lead  us  to  put  Indian  corn  first  for  irrigated  land, 
with  sweet  sorghum  a  close  second,  while  for  dry  farming  or  with  a 
limited  water  supply,   the   grain   sorghums    (milo   and   feterita)    or 


TRIALS  WITH   CALIFORNIA  SILAGE   CROPS  FOR  DAIRY   COWS  23 

Sudan  grass  may  be  placed  first.  In  regard  to  the  latter  crop,  it 
should  be  stated  that  a  second  hay  or  pasture  crop  may  ordinarily  be 
counted  on  under  the  conditions  prevailing  in  the  interior  valleys, 
so  that  this  crop  would  be  of  relatively  greater  value  for  the  produc- 
tion of  stock  feed  than  would  appear  from  the  figures  given  in  the 
preceding  table. 


FEEDING  EXPEEIMENTS  WITH  SILAGE  CEOPS 

The  feeding  experiments  described  in  the  following  pages  were 
conducted  with  cows  in  the  University  dairy  herd  during  the  past 
four  years  in  studying  the  relative  value  of  different  kinds  of  silage 
to  the  dairy  farmer,  viz. : 

1.  Indian  corn  silage  as  a  supplement  to  alfalfa  hay. 

2.  Milo  silage  as  a  supplement  to  alfalfa  hay. 

3.  The  comparative  value  of  silage  made  from  Indian  corn  and 
that  from  Sudan  grass  and  from  sweet  sorghum. 

The  first  of  these  experiments  was  conducted  November,  1913  to 
March,  1914;  the  experiment  with  milo  silage,  January  to  April, 
1915 ;  and  those  with  Sudan  grass  and  sweet  sorghum  silage  during 
the  past  season,  November,  1916  to  April,  1917. 

The  experiments  differ  somewhat  in  plan  and  scope,  due  to  differ- 
ences in  the  special  conditions  under  which  each  one  was  conducted. 
The  University  dairy  herd,  like  those  of  similar  institutions,  serves  a 
four-fold  purpose,  being  used  as  instructional  material,  for  the  pro- 
duction of  milk,  and  of  breeding  stock  of  high  quality,  and  for  experi- 
mental purposes  in  the  study  of  nutrition  problems  and  feeding  prac- 
tices. It  is  evident  that  experimental  work  conducted  with  the  herd 
must  be  planned  and  conducted  with  a  view  to  its  bearing  on  the  other 
purposes  for  which  the  herd  is  kept.  The  experiments  described  in 
this  bulletin  are  not,  therefore,  necessarily  such  in  scope  or  details 
as  the  authors  would  like  to  have  them,  but  they  were  arranged  each 
year  in  such  a  way  as  to  furnish  the  most  satisfactory  solution  of 
the  problem  studied  which  the  conditions  then  prevailing  would  per 
mit.  In  the  conduct  of  the  experiments,  many  thousands  of  weighings 
of  milk,  feed,  and  animals,  as  well  as  Babcock  tests,  and  lactometer 
readings  have  been  made,  the  complete  record  of  which  would  fill  a 
large  volume.  Only  summary  figures  for  groups  of  cows  for  each 
period  of  the  various  experiments  are,  however,  given  in  this  bulletin, 
so  as  not  to  increase  unduly  the  size  and  the  cost  of  the  publication, 
and  in  order  to  facilitate  the  study  of  the  results  obtained  and  the 
deductions  drawn  from  them. 


24 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


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TRIALS  WITH   CALIFORNIA  SILAGE   CROPS  FOR  DAIRY   COWS  25 

The  chemical  composition  of  the  feeding  stuffs  used  in  the  various 
experiments  will  be  seen  in  table  IV.  The  calculated  digestible 
components  of  the  feeds  are  also  given,  based  on  average  digestion 
coefficients  for  the  different  feeds,  or  for  feeds  of  similar  character, 
in  cases  where  no  digestion  trials  have  been  conducted. 


I.  INDIAN  COEN  SILAGE  AS  A  SUPPLEMENT  TO  ALFALFA  HAY 

Alfalfa  is  the  most  important  single  feed  in  the  main  dairy  sections 
of  the  state,  outside  of  the  northern  and  central  coastal  counties.  It 
forms  the  sole  feed  of  the  cows  in  the  large  majority  of  cases,  being 
generally  either  pastured  or  fed  green  in  corrals,  or  fed  as  hay  during 
the  winter  months.  There  is  perhaps  no  better  single  dairy  feed  than 
alfalfa,  and  rich  alfalfa  pasture  or  a  good  quality  of  green  alfalfa 
or  of  alfalfa  hay  can  hardly  be  improved  upon  for  feeding  dairy  cows, 
except  in  the  case  of  heavy-producing  cows  which  will  be  likely  to  give 
good  returns  for  additional  grain  feed. 

Experiments  conducted  in  the  University  dairy  herd  during  1913 
and  1914  led  to  the  conclusion  that  on  account  of  the  increased  pro- 
duction obtained  and  the  residual  effect  of  the  grain  feeding,  as  well 
as  its  favorable  influence  on  the  condition  of  the  cows  and  their  off- 
spring, the  practice  of  feeding  grain  to  cows  on  alfalfa  is  economically 
sound  and  may  be  recommended.4  This  holds  true  especially  for 
heifers  and  young  cows,  and  for  heavy-producing  animals,  which  can- 
not be  brought  to  a  maximum  production  on  roughage  alone,  even  if 
this  be  as  excellent  and  palatable  a  feed  as  green  alfalfa  or  good 
alfalfa  hay.  In  the  case  of  such  cows  it  is,  therefore,  advisable  to 
add  to  the  rations  at  least  small  amounts  of  feeds  furnishing  nutrients 
in  a  more  concentrated  form  than  in  either  green  or  dry  coarse  feeds, 
like  cereal  grains,  mill  feeds,  etc. 

With  the  introduction  of  the  silo  on  dairy  farms  and  the  growing 
of  silage  crops,  like  Indian  corn,  sorghum  varieties,  etc.,  another  vari- 
ation in  the  practice  of  feeding  cows  is  rendered  possible.  These 
silage  crops  are  of  a  starchy  composition  and  relatively  low  in  protein 
(flesh-forming  substances),  hence  supplement  well  the  nutrients  in  the 
alfalfa  and  widen  the  nutritive  ratio  of  the  ration  fed,  making  these 
conform  more  closely  to  accepted  feeding  standards  than  alfalfa  alone. 
The  practice  of  feeding  silage  as  a  supplementary  feed  to  alfalfa  has 
been  adopted  by  dairy  farmers  in  different  sections  of  the  state  and 
appears  to  be  gaining  ground.  The  experiment  described  below  was 
planned  to  furnish  accurate  information  as  to  the  value  of  this  method 


4  See  Bull.  256,  Calif.  Agr.  Coll.,  p.  443  et  seq. 


26  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

of  feeding  and  is  the  first  experimental  study  ever  conducted  of  the 
general  value  of  this  method  of  feeding  dairy  cows  under  conditions 
like  those  prevailing  in  this  state. 


PLAN  OF  THE  EXPEEIMENT 

Twenty-six  cows  in  the  University  dairy  herd  were  separated  into 
two  lots  of  thirteen  each.  The  lots  were  made  as  even  as  possible  as 
regards  breed,  age,  and  body  weight  of  cows,  dairy  production,  and 
distance  from  last  and  following  freshening.  They  were  fed  as 
follows  during  three  periods  of  four  weeks  each,  a  preliminary  feeding 
period  of  one  week  preceding  each  period,  in  order  to  accustom  the 
cows  to  the  rations  fed  during  the  subsequent  periods. 

Lot  A — Alfalfa  hay  and  Indian  corn  silage  throughout  the  experi- 
ment. 

Lot  B — Alfalfa  and  corn  silage  during  Periods  I  and  III,  alfalfa 
hay  as  sole  roughage  during  Period  II. 

Eight  of  the  cows  in  each  lot  were  fed  a  grain  mixture  composed  of 
approximately  equal  parts  by  weight  of  wheat  bran,  rolled  barley 
and  oats,  with  small  amounts  of  linseed  meal  and  cocoanut  meal,  while 
the  others  received  rough  feeds  only.  The  cows  were  fed  grain  in 
proportion  to  their  production ;  as  a  general  rule,  one  pound  for  every 
four  or  five  pounds  of  milk  produced.  The  method  of  feeding  and 
care  of  the  two  lots  was  as  similar  as  possible,  with  the  exception 
stated  regarding  the  roughage  fed. 

The  routine  of  conducting  the  experiment  and  the  general  handling 
of  the  cows  were  otherwise  as  in  the  case  of  the  general  University 
dairy  herd,  which  has  already  been  described  in  the  bulletin  referred 
to  above.  Each  milking  from  the  individual  cows  in  the  experiment 
was  weighed  and  sampled,  and  separate  composite  samples  of  each 
cow's  milk  were  tested  once  a  week.  The  cows  were  all  in  the  early  or 
middle  part  of  their  lactation  periods  at  the  beginning  of  the  experi- 
ment, and  those  bred  were  at  that  time,  on  the  average,  about  five  and 
one-half  months  from  the  next  freshening.  Lot  A  contained  two 
Holsteins,  four  Guernseys,  two  Jerseys  and  five  grades,  and  Lot  B, 
three  Holsteins,  five  Guernseys,  one  Jersey  and  four  grades.  The 
average  production,  body  weight,  age,  etc.,  for  the  cows  in  the  two 
lots  at  the  beginning  of  the  experiment  were  as  follows : 


TRIALS  WITH   CALIFORNIA  SILAGE   CROPS   FOR  DAIRY   COWS 


27 


Table  V. — Average  Data  for  Cows  at  the  Beginning  of  the  Experiment 

Lot  A  Lot  B 

Milk   per  week,   pounds 143.7  143.6 

Solids  per  week,   pounds 19.7  19.2 

Fat,    pounds    6.49  6.42 

Average  per  cent  solids 13.7  13.3 

Average  per  cent  fat 4.51  4.46 

Average   body  weight,   pounds 1047  1164 

Average  age,  years 4.7  5.2 

The  experiment  was  conducted  from  November  20,  1913,  to  March 
5,  1914.  All  the  cows  were  apparently  in  good  health  and  ate  their 
feed  with  relish  throughout  the  experiment.  This  progressed  as 
planned  without  any  serious  accident,  except  that  four  of  the  cows 
(one  in  Lot  A  and  three  in  Lot  B)  decreased  more  rapidly  in  their 
flow  of  milk  than  anticipated  and  were,  therefore,  taken  off  the  experi- 
ment during  the  last  period. 


Table   "VI. — Average   Feed   Consumption,   Body   Weight, 

Cows 


and   Production    of 


Lot  A 
Feed  consumption  per 
day,  lbs. 
Hay    

Period 
I 

Period 
III 

Alfalfa 

Av.  Period 
I  and  III 

and  Silage 

A 

Period 
II 

Difference 

betw.  ave.  of 

Per.  I  and  III 

and  Per.  II 

14.4 

10.2 

12.3 

12.2 

+      -1 

Silage  

29.4 

31.9 

30.7 

33.9 

—  3.2 

Grain    . 

2.3 
1040 

2.8 
1044 

2.6 
1042 

2.6 
1045 

Body  weight,  lbs 

—  3. 

Production  per  cow  and 

per  day 

Milk,  lbs 

19.2 

18.4 

18.8 

19.3 

—     .5 

Solids,    per    cent 

13.9 

13.7 

13.8 

13.7 

+      -1 

Solids,  lbs 

2.67 

2.52 

2.60 

2.64 

—     .04 

Butter  fat,  per  cent 

4.55 

4.35 

4.44 

4.36 

+     .08 

Butter  fat,  lb 

.87 

.80 

.84 

.84 

Lot  B 

Feed  consumption  per 
day,  lbs. 
Hay    

Alfalfa  and  Silage 

A 

Alfalfa  only 
21.0 

14.4 

10.2 

12.3 

—  8.7 

Silage  

29.7 

31.4 

30.6 

+30.6 

Grain 

2.3 
1155 

3.3 
1069 

2.8 
1112 

2.7 
1078 

+     .1 

Body  weight,  lbs 

+  34. 

Production  per  cow  and 

per  day 

Milk,  lbs 

19.3 

17.8 

18.6 

15.9 

+   2.7 

Solids,    per    cent 

13.7 

13.9 

13.8 

13.7 

+     1. 

Solids,   lbs 

2.63 

2.47 

2.55 

2.18 

+     .37 

Butter  fat,  per  cent 

4.45 

4.45 

4.45 

4.61 

—     .16 

Butter  fat,  lb 

.86 

.79 

.83 

,7„ 

.     .10 

28  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

The  data  presented  in  table  VI  give  the  average  results  obtained 
during  the  three  periods  of  the  experiment  for  both  lots,  the  daily 
feed  ration  and  the  production  of  milk  and  butter  fat  per  head  being 
given  in  each  case. 

Considering  first  the  data  for  Lot  B,  we  note  that,  on  the  average 
for  all  cows,  the  production  was  as  follows:  for  milk,  Period  I,  19.3 
pounds;  Period  III,  17.8  pounds,  and  Period  II  (no  silage),  15.9 
pounds,  and  for  butter  fat,  .86,  .79,  and  .73  pound,  for  Periods  I,  III, 
and  II,  respectively.  The  production  of  milk  was  2.7  pounds  lower 
and  that  of  butter  fat  .10  pound  lower  during  the  second  period  than 
the  average  data  for  the  preceding  and  following  periods  when  silage 
was  fed.  The  figures  for  Lot  A  show  that  a  similar  number  of  cows 
as  in  Lot  B  fed  alfalfa  and  silage  throughout  the  experiment,  averaged 
.5  pound  higher  in  milk  during  Period  II  than  the  average  of  Periods 
I  and  III,  while  no  difference  occurred  in  the  production  of  butter 
fat.  As  the  two  lots  were  very  uniform  as  regards  the  various  factors 
that  influence  milk  secretion,  we  may  be  justified  in  considering  that 
the  average  milk  production  of  the  cows  in  Lot  B,  if  these  had  been 
fed  similarly  throughout  the  experiment,  would  also  have  decreased 
.5  pound  per  head  daily  during  Periods  I  and  III,  as  compared  with 
Period  II,  and  the  production  obtained  should,  therefore,  be  cor- 
rected accordingly.  This  gives  us  an  increase  in  the  milk  production 
of  2.2  pounds  and  of  butter  fat  .10  pound  during  Periods  I  and  III, 
as  compared  with  Period  II ;  that  is,  on  account  of  the  feeding  of  silage 
and  alfalfa  hay  (with  or  without  accompanying  grain),  the  produc- 
tion of  milk  and  butter  fat  was  raised  by  14  per  cent  over  the  cor- 
responding data  for  the  period  when  alfalfa  hay  only  was  fed. 

"Whether  the  observed  improved  nutritive  effect  of  the  silage 
rations  over  those  containing  dry  feed  only  was  due  to  a  larger  supply 
of  digestible  nutrients,  or  to  a  stimulating  effect  of  the  succulent  feed 
on  the  milk  secretion  will  be  discussed  below  in  connection  with  the 
composition  of  the  rations  fed,  but  so  far  as  the  practical  aspects  of 
the  case  go,  the  evidence  seems  clear  that  an  appreciable  improvement 
in  production  was  obtained  as  a  result  of  a  partial  substitution  of 
corn  silage  in  the  ration  of  alfalfa  hay,  or  alfalfa  and  grain. 

Since  ten  of  the  cows  in  the  experiment  were  fed  alfalfa  hay  only, 
and  the  balance  (sixteen),  alfalfa  and  grain,  the  data  secured  supply 
information  as  to  the  effect  of  the  addition  of  silage  to  the  ration  in 
either  case.  These  data  have  been  compiled  for  the  different  cows, 
with  results  as  shown  in  the  following  table : 


TRIALS  WITH   CALIFORNIA  SILAGE   CROPS  FOR  DAIRY   COWS  29 

Cows  fed  roughage  and  grain  ^   '      •         °bg s'  ^  ' 

Average  of  Periods  I  and  III  (alfalfa  and  silage)      17.7  2.46  .81 

Average  of  Period  II  (alfalfa  only)  17.2  2.40  .82 

Difference    +.5  +.06  —.01 

In  per  cent 3  3  1 

Cows  fed  roughage  only 

Average  of  Periods  I  and  III  (alfalfa  and  silage)  17.7  2.43  .80 

Average  of  Period  II  (alfalfa  only)  14.1  1.91  .63 

Difference    +3.6  +.52  +.17 

In  per  cent 26  27  27 

Both  in  the  case  of  the  cows  receiving  grain  and  of  those  fed 
roughage  only,  very  nearly  similar  amounts  of  dry  matter  were  sup- 
plied in  the  rations  whether  or  not  silage  was  fed.  In  the  case  of 
cows  fed  grain,  there  was,  however,  only  a  slight  increase  in  the  pro- 
duction of  milk  or  milk  components  when  silage  was  included  in  the 
rations  of  the  cows,  viz.,  1  to  3  per  cent.  The  cows  receiving  alfalfa 
hay  only,  on  the  other  hand,  responded  in  a  striking  manner  to  the 
addition  of  silage  to  the  ration,  the  production  of  milk  being  increased, 
on  the  average,  from  14.1  pounds  to  17.7  pounds  per  head  daily,  that 
of  solids  from  1.91  to  2.43  pounds,  and  that  of  butter  fat  from  .63 
to  .80  pound,  an  increase  in  each  case  of  26  to  27  per  cent.  By 
referring  to  the  summaries  of  results  for  all  the  cows  on  the  experi- 
ment on  page  28  it  will  be  noted  that  an  increase  in  production  of 
about  14  per  cent  was  obtained  for  all  the  cows.  In  view  of  the 
insignificant  improvement  in  production  by  the  cows  fed  grain,  this 
increase  evidently  came  through  the  effect  of  the  introduction  of  silage 
in  the  rations  of  the  cows  receiving  roughage  only. 

The  results  obtained  in  this  single  experiment  suggest  that  the 
feeding  of  silage  to  cows  on  roughage  (alfalfa  hay)  only  will  produce 
a  marked  improvement  in  production,  while  only  slightly  larger  yields 
can  be  expected  through  the  addition  of  silage  to  rations  containing 
a  medium  allowance  of  grain  feeds  (average,  4.5  pounds  per  head 
daily).  It  is  perhaps  significant  that  the  cows  in  this  experiment 
were  fed  alfalfa  hay  of  fair  quality  ad  lib.  If  a  less  valuable  forage 
had  been  fed  along  with  the  grain,  or  the  amount  fed  had  been  reduced 
below  what  the  cows  were  able  to  consume  with  a  good  appetite,  it  is 
very  likely  that  the  addition  of  silage  to  the  ration  would  have  been 
found  of  decided  advantage  also  in  the  case  of  grain-fed  cows. 

According  to  the  data  given  in  table  VII,  the  rations  fed  to  the 
cows  in  this  experiment  contained  the  amounts  of  nutrients  shown 
below  during  the  different  periods. 


30  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Table  VII. — Composition  of  Rations  Fed  to  Cows,  in  Pounds 

Digestible 

Lot  A  '  ' — > 

^     .    ,     _         .,  „-,-    ,    .,  Dry  Carbohvdrates      Nutr.  ratio, 

Periods  I  and  III    (Silage     matter  Protein  and  fat  1: 

throughout)    20.7  1.92  11.06  5.8 

Period  II  21.5  1.95  11.55  5.9 

Difference  —.8  —.03  —.49 

Lot  B 

Periods  I  and  III 20.8  1.94  1.117                      5.8 

Period  II  (no  silage)  19.7  2.37  9.32                      3.9 

Difference  +1-1  —-43  +1.85 

Corrected    +.3  —.46  +1.36 

The  cows  in  Lot  B  received  somewhat  more  dry  matter  and  digest- 
ible carbohydrates  and  fat  in  their  rations  during  Periods  I  and  III 
(dry  feed  and  silage),  than  during  Period  II  (dry  feed  only), 
but  the  amount  of  digestible  protein  was  considerably  lower  during 
Periods  I  and  III  than  during  Period  II,  the  nutritive  ratio  for  the 
former  rations  being  1 :5.8  and  for  Period  II,  1 :3.9.  By  introducing 
silage  in  the  rations  fed,  the  nutritive  ratio  of  these  were,  therefore, 
changed  from  very  narrow  to  medium,  i.e.,  one  approximately  in 
accordance  with  that  of  the  common  feeding  standards  for  dairy  cows. 

If  the  production  of  milk  and  milk  components  by  the  cows  per 
100  pounds  of  dry  matter  eaten  during  the  different  periods  be  cal- 
culated, comparative  figures  for  the  efficiency  of  the  different  rations 
will  be  obtained.  The  following  table  presents  the  data  with  regard 
to  this  point. 

Table  VIII. — Eeturns  per  100  Pounds  of  Dry  Matter  Eaten,  Lot  B 

Milk,  Solids,  Fat, 

lbs.  lbs.  lbs. 

Periods  I  and  III 89.4  12.3  3.99 

Period  II  80.7  11.1  3.71 

Difference    +8.7  +1.2  +.28 

Corrected  +9.7  +1.5  +.43 

In   per   cent 11  12  11 

The  differences  in  production  observed  have  been  corrected  in  the 
last  but  one  line  of  the  table,  in  accordance  with  the  findings  for  Lot 
A,  which  showed  that  the  cows  produced  1.0  pound  more  milk,  .3 
pound  more  solids  and  .15  pound  more  butter  fat  per  100  pounds  dry 
matter  in  the  rations  during  Periods  I  and  III  than  during  Period  II, 
and  the  percentage  differences  have  been  calculated  on  basis  of  the 


TRIALS  WITH   CALIFORNIA  SILAGE   CROPS   FOR  DAIRY   COWS  31 

corrected  figures.  It  will  be  noted  that  these  show  an  increase  of  11 
to  12  per  cent  in  the  efficiency  of  the  average  rations  fed  during 
Periods  I  and  III  over  the  rations  fed  during  Period  II.  There  was 
no  appreciable  difference  in  the  relative  efficiency  of  the  rations  as  to 
the  production  of  the  cows  that  received  grain  and  those  fed  rough 
feeds  only.  Whether  the  improvement  in  the  silage  ration  noted 
is  due  to  the  wider  nutritive  ratio  fed  during  the  former  period  or  to 
a  superior  nutritive  effect  of  the  silage  rations,  cannot  be  decided  by 
the  results  of  this  experiment  alone.  This  question  will,  however,  be 
further  discussed  in  connection  with  the  other  silage  experiments 
reported  in  this  bulletin. 


II.  MILO  SILAGE  AS  A  SUPPLEMENT  TO  ALFALFA  HAY 

This  experiment  was  conducted  with  eighteen  cows  in  the  Uni- 
versity dairy  herd  from  January  14  to  April  29,  1915.  Owing  to  the 
relatively  small  number  of  cows  in  the  herd  available  for  an  experi- 
ment of  this  kind  during  the  season  of  1914-15,  it  was  decided  to 
feed  all  cows  on  the  experiment  alike,  in  so  far  as  the  kinds  of  feeds 
go,  except  that  ten  of  the  cows  received  rough  feed  and  grain,  and  the 
others,  which  were  rather  advanced  in  their  lactation  period  and  were 
low  producers,  received  roughage  only.  The  cows  were  fed  as  follows 
during  three  periods  of  four  weeks  each  :  Periods  I  and  III,  milo  silage 
and  alfalfa  hay ;  Period  II,  alfalfa  hay.  A  week 's  preliminary  feeding 
preceded  each  period. 

The  plan  of  the  experiment  was,  in  general,  similar  to  that  of  the 
preceding  one.  The  silage  and  alfalfa  hay  were  fed  according  to 
the  capacity  of  each  cow  for  consuming  roughage,  while  the  amounts 
of  concentrates  fed  to  ten  of  the  cows  in  the  experiment  varied  from 
three  to  six  pounds  per  head  daily,  according  to  their  dairy  produc- 
tion. The  concentrates  fed  consisted  of  a  mixture  of  rolled  barley, 
cocoanut  meal  and  dried  beet  pulp,  in  the  proportion  of  1 :2 :1  by 
weight.  Five  of  the  cows  were  pure-bred  Holsteins,  three  were  pure- 
bred Jerseys,  one  pure-bred  Guernsey,  two  pure-bred  Ayrshires,  and 
three  grade  Shorthorns.  The  cows  averaged  1174  pounds  in  weight 
at  the  beginning  of  the  experiment,  and  produced,  on  the  average, 
25.6  pounds  milk  and  1.1  pounds  butter  fat  per  head  daily. 

Data  of  the  average  body  weights,  production,  and  feed  consump- 
tion of  the  cows  for  each  period  of  the  experiment  are  given  in 
table  IX. 


32  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Table  IX. — Milo  Silage  for  Dairy  Cows 

_      ,  , .  Period  Period  Av.  Period  Period 

Feed  consumption  per              1  m  j  and  m  n 

day,  lbs.                                               Alfalfa  and  milo  silage  Alfalfa  Difference 

Hay    9.4  11.1  10.2  23.0  —12.8 

Silage  27.2  38.0  32.8  +32.8 

Grain    3.1  3.1  3.1  3.0  +     .1 

Body    weight,    lbs 1090  1091  1090  1071  +19. 

Production  per  cow  and  per  day 

Milk,  lbs 23.1  15.9  19.5  20.3  —     .8 

Solids,  lbs 2.99  2.08  2.53  2.57  —     .04 

Solids,  per  cent .% 12.9  13.0  12.9  12.7  +     .2 

Butter  fat,  lb 934  .658  .796  .805  —     .009 

Butter    fat,    per    cent         4.05  4.13  4.08  3.95  +     .13 

The  average  production  of  the  cows  on  the  two  kinds  of  rations 
was  so  nearly  alike  that  one  would  be  justified  in  considering  the 
rations  of  similar  feeding  value.  The  average  milk  yield  was  slightly 
lower  for  Periods  I  and  III  (silage  rations)  than  for  Period  II  (dry 
feed  only),  but  the  quality  of  the  milk  produced  on  the  former  rations 
was  somewhat  improved  over  that  of  the  milk  produced  during  Period 
II,  making  the  average  production  of  fat  and  other  milk  solids  prac- 
tically the  same  for  the  two  kinds  of  rations. 

The  chemical  composition  of  all  feeds  used  in  the  experiment,  and 
their  digestible  components,  will  be  seen  from  table  III.  The  amounts 
of  dry  matter  and  digestible  components  in  the  rations  fed  during  the 
different  periods  of  this  experiment  calculated  from  the  data  referred 
to,  are  shown  in  table  X. 


Table  X. — Composition  of  Average  Eations  Fed,  in  Pounds 

Digestible 

Dry  digestible  Carbohydrates  Nutr.  ratio, 

matter  matter  Protein  and  fat  1 : 

Period  I  (alfalfa  and  milo 

silage)    17.8  11.0  1.45  9.60  6.6 

Period  III    (alfalfa  and 

milo  silage)  22.2  13.3  1.69  11.83  7.0 

Average   20.0  12.2  1.57  10.72  6.8 

Period  II   (alfalfa)  22.0  13.7  2.55  11.06  4.3 

Difference    —2.0  —1.5  —.98  —.34 

If  the  amounts  of  dry  matter  in  the  rations  be  compared  with  the 
production  of  milk  and  milk  components,  the  data  shown  in  table  XI 
will  be  obtained. 


TRIALS  WITH   CALIFORNIA  SILAGE   CROPS   FOR  DAIRY   COWS  33 

Table  XI. — Production  per  100  Pounds  Dry  Matter  in  Eations 

Butter 
Milk,  Solids,  fat, 

lbs.  lbs.  lbs. 

Periods  I  and  III  (alfalfa  and  milo  silage)       97.5  12.7  3.98 

Period  II   (alfalfa)  92.3  11.7  3.66 

Difference    —5.2  —1.0  —.32 

In  per   cent 5  8  8 

The  nutritive  effect  of  the  silage  rations  was,  therefore,  5  to  8  per 
cent  higher  than  that  of  the  same  rations  without  the  silage.  This 
is  not  as  marked  an  improvement  as  in  the  preceding  experiment  for 
Indian  corn  silage  (11  to  12  per  cent).  If  the  results  obtained  with 
the  cows  that  received  roughage  only  be  calculated  in  a  similar  way, 
we  find  that  100  pounds  of  dry  matter  in  the  rations  of  these  cows 
produced  91.4  pounds  milk,  11.7  pounds  solids  and  3.71  pounds  fat 
during  Periods  I  and  III,  and  83.7  pounds  milk,  10.6  pounds  solids 
and  3.37  pounds  fat,  an  increase  of  8,  9,  and  11  per  cent  respectively. 
Also  in  the  case  of  these  cows,  the  average  production  on  the  silage 
rations  differed  but  slightly  from  those  fed  during  the  intermediate 
period  when  the  cows  received  dry  roughage  only,  in  fact  there  was  a 
slight  decrease  in  production.  Results  with  the  corn  silage  in  the 
preceding  experiment  were  not,  therefore,  corroborated  in  this  case. 
But  when  the  production  of  milk  or  milk  components  per  unit  of  dry 
matter  supplied  in  the  rations  is  considered,  it  is  shown  that  some- 
what better  returns  were  obtained  by  supplementing  the  alfalfa 
rations  with  milo  silage  in  case  of  the  cows  receiving  roughage  only, 
than  where  the  rations  were  composed  of  rough  feeds  and  grain. 

III.  SUDAN  GEASS  AND  SWEET  SORGHUM  SILAGE  VS.  INDIAN  CORN 

SILAGE 

This  experiment  was  intended  to  furnish  accurate  information 
regarding  the  comparative  value  of  Indian  corn  silage  and  silage 
made  from  Sudan  grass  or  sweet  sorghum,  for  milk  production. 

A.  Sudan  Grass  Silage  vs.  Indian  Corn  Silage 

Sudan  grass  is  a  relatively  new  crop  in  this  state  and  but  little  is 
known  as  to  its  exact  value  for  different  classes  of  farm  stock  and  for 
different  purposes.5  No  information  is  available  as  to  its  value  as  a 
silage  crop,  the  siloing  experiment  with  this  crop  last  year  being,  so 
far  as  is  known,  the  first  one  of  the  kind  ever  conducted.     Under  these 


s  See  Bulletin  277  of  this  College,  on  "Sudan  Grass,"  for  a  discussion  of 
the  general  value  of  this  promising  forage  crop. 


34  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

conditions  it  seemed  especially  desirable  to  secure  reliable  data  as  to 
the  adaptability  and  value  of  the  silage  for  feeding  dairy  cattle  and 
the  experiment  here  reported  was  accordingly  planned. 

The  experiment  with  Sudan  grass  silage  was  conducted  from  Sep- 
tember 28,  1916,  to"  January  4,  1917,  with  twenty-one  cows  in  the 
University  dairy  herd,  viz.,  eighteen  pure-breds  and  three  grades, 
the  different  breeds  being  represented  as  follows  among  the  former: 
one  Ayrshire,  eight  Jerseys,  four  Guernseys  and  five  Holsteins,  while 
the  grades  were  all  Holsteins.  All  the  cows  but  two  were  fresh  or 
in  the  early  part  of  their  lactation  periods  at  the  beginning  of  the 
experiment.  The  average  daily  production  of  the  cows  at  this  time 
was  27.8  pounds  milk,  2.41  pounds  solids,  and  1.00  pound  butter  fat. 
The  experiment  was  similar  to  the  preceding  ones  in  plan  and  conduct, 
three  periods  of  four  weeks'  duration  being  arranged  for,  each  one 
introduced  by  a  week's  preliminary  feeding.  The  cows  were  fed 
alfalfa  hay  ad  lib.  and  a  grain  mixture  of  dried  beet  pulp,  cocoanut 
meal,  wheat  bran,  and  rolled  barle}r  (4:1:1:1,  by  weight),  according 
to  their  production,  on  the  average  at  the  rate  of  one  pound  per  five 
pounds  of  milk.  One  cow,  a  Bolstein  grade,  received  rough  feed  only. 
The  more  important  results  obtained  in  the  experiment  are  presented 
in  table  XII,  which  includes  average  data  for  feed  consumption,  body 
weights,  and  production  of  milk,  solids  and  butter  fat. 

In  addition  to  alfalfa  and  concentrates,  the  cows  received  silage  as 
follows :       Periods  I  and  III,  Indian  corn  silage. 
Period  II,  Sudan  grass  silage. 

Table  XII.  Sudan  Grass  Silage  for  Dairy  Cows 

Period  Period  Av.  Period  Period 

I  III  I  and  III  II 

Feed  consumption  per  day,  lbs.         Indian  corn  gi]age  ^"fr*  Difference 

Alfalfa  hay  23.8  11.6  17.7  21.6  —3.9 

Corn   silage   31.8  32.8  32.3 

Sudan  grass  silage 23.2 

Concentrates    6.8  5.8  6.3  5.9  +   .4 

Body  weights,  lbs 1174  1201  1187  1186  +1. 

Production  per  cow  per  day 

Milk,  lbs 23.7  15.4  19.6  18.9  +   .7 

Solids,  lbs 3.28  2.25  2.77  2.60  +   -17 

Solids,  per  cent 13.8  14.6  14.1  13.8  +.3 

Fat,  lbs 1.06  .772  .916  .879  +   .037 

Fat,  per  cent 4.47  5.01  4.67  4.65  +   .02 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  difference  in  the  nutritive  effect  of  the 
two  silage  rations  was  but  small  and  may  be  considered  within  the 
limits  of  experimental  errors  inherent  in  feeding  trials  of  this  kind. 


TRIALS  WITH   CALIFORNIA  SILAGE   CROPS   FOR  DAIRY   COWS  35 

There  was  a  slightly  larger  production  of  milk,  solids  and  butter  fat 
during  Periods  I  and  III  (corn  silage)  compared  with  Period  II 
(Sudan  grass  silage),  3.6,  6.1,  4.0  per  cent  respectively,  but  less  silage, 
somewhat  less  hay,  and  an  average  of  A  pound  more  concentrates  per 
head  were  eaten  daily  during  the  latter  period  than  the  averages 
for  the  corn  silage  periods. 

Evidently  it  is  necessary  to  look  into  the  contents  of  dry  matter 
and  separate  feed  components  in  the  two  rations  to  determine  the 
efficiency  of  either  for  milk  production.  The  results  relative  to  this 
point  are  presented  in  table  XIII. 

Table  XIII — Composition  of  Average  Eations  Fed,  in  Pounds 

Digestible 

Total         t K n 

Dry  digestible  Carbohydrates  Nutr. ratio, 

matter  matter  Protein  and  fat  1 : 

Period  I    (corn  silage)  36.1  23.2  3.54  19.20  5.4 

Period  III    (corn  silage)  24.2  15.9  2.10  13.78  6.6 

Average   30.2  19.6  2.82  16.49  5.8 

Period  II   (Sudan  grass  silage)      32.4  20.1  3.18  16.12  5.1 

Difference    —2.2  —.5  —.36  +.37 

The  corn  silage  rations  contained,  on  the  average,  2.2  pounds  less 
dry  matter  and  .5  pound  less  digestible  matter  than  the  Sudan  grass 
silage  rations  and  had  only  a  slightly  wider  nutritive  ratio  (1:5.8, 
against  1:5.1  for  the  Sudan  grass  silage).  If  the  production  of  the 
cows  on  the  different  rations  be  compared  with  the  dry  matter  fur- 
nished during  the  three  periods  of  the  experiment,  the  data  given  in 
table  XIV  are  obtained. 

Table  XIV. — Eeturns  per  100  Pounds  Dry  Matter,  in  Pounds 

Milk  Solids  Fat 

Period  I   (corn  silage) 65.6  9.09  2.94 

Period  III    (corn  silage)  63.6  9.30  3.19 

Average   64.9  9.17  3.03 

Period  II  (Sudan  grass  silage)....  58.3  8.02  2.71 

Difference    6.6  1.15  .32 

In  per   cent +10  +13  +11 

A  comparison  of  the  amounts  of  dry  matter  contained  in  the 
rations  fed  and  the  average  production  of  the  cows,  will  show  that 
about  10  per  cent  better  results  were  obtained  from  the  corn  silage 
rations  than  from  those  containing  Sudan  grass  silage.  While  a 
single  experiment  with  only  twenty-one  cows  does  not  furnish  suf- 
ficient evidence  for  generalizations  the  conclusion  is  doubtless  justified 


36  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

from  the  experience  gained  in  feeding  Sudan  grass  silage  during  the 
past  season,  as  well  as  from  the  results  obtained  in  this  experiment, 
that  it  furnishes  a  good  quality  of  silage  for  dairy  cows  and  that  its 
nutritive  effect  will  not  fall  far  behind  that  of  Indian  corn,  the 
standard  silage  crop  of  the  country. 

B.  Sweet  Sorghum  Silage  vs.  Indian  Corn  Silage 

On  the  completion  of  the  preceding  experiment,  the  cows  included 
therein  that  still  gave  at  least  a  fair  amount  of  milk,  and  other  cows  in 
the  University  dairy  herd  that  had  recently  freshened,  were  placed  in 
a  similar  experiment  as  the  last  one,  with  sweet  sorghum  silage  to  be 
fed  during  the  second  period  in  place  of  Indian  corn  silage,  which  was 
fed  during  the  preceding  and  the  following  period.  The  plan  and 
conduct  of  the  experiment  was  otherwise  similar  to  the  earlier  ones 
of  this  series. 

Twenty-eight  cows  were  included  in  this  experiment,  viz.,  thirteen 
grades  (twelve  Holsteins  and  one  Shorthorn)  and  fifteen  pure-breds 
(two  each  of  Ayrshires  and  Holsteins,  five  Guernseys  and  six  Jerseys). 
The  cows  were  about  three  months  from  calving,  on  the  average,  at 
the  beginning  of  the  experiment,  and  had  an  average  daily  production 
at  that  time  of  17.5  pounds  milk,  2.40  pounds  solids,  and  .75  pound 
butter  fat.  All  but  three  cows  received  concentrates  in  addition  to 
alfalfa  hay  and  silage.  The  grain  mixture  fed  varied  somewhat  dur- 
ing the  progress  of  the  experiment,  but  was  composed  of  the  following 
average  amounts  of  the  various  concentrates  during  the  period  given : 
dried  beet  pulp,  50  per  cent ;  cocoanut  meal,  25  per  cent ;  wheat  bran, 
15  per  cent,  and  barley  and  cottonseed  meal  5  per  cent  each. 

The  experiment  was  commenced  December  28,  1916,  and  continued 
until  April  5,  1917.  The  average  results  obtained  as  to  the  feed  con- 
sumption and  the  production  of  the  cows  are  presented  in  table  XV. 

Here  again  only  insignificant  differences  in  the  effect  of  the  two 
silage  rations  on  the  production  of  the  cows  are  to  be  observed.  In 
fact,  the  results  as  to  the  amounts  of  feed  eaten  and  of  milk  and  milk 
components  produced,  as  well  as  average  body  weights  of  the  cows 
while  on  the  two  kinds  of  feed,  were  as  nearly  similar  as  might  be 
expected  if  the  cows  had  been  fed  the  same  rations  throughout  the 
experiment  (p.  27).  It  remains  to  be  seen  whether  any  difference 
occurred  in  the  amounts  of  dry  matter  or  digestible  components  sup- 
plied in  the  two  rations.  As  before  the  composition  of  the  rations 
and  the  returns  per  hundred  pounds  of  dry  matter  eaten,  have  been 
calculated,  and  the  results  will  be  found  in  table  XVI. 


TRIALS  WITH  CALIFORNIA  SILAGE  CROPS  FOR  DAIRY   COWS 


37 


Table  XV. — Sweet  Sorghum  Silage  for  Dairy  Cows 


Period  Period  Av.  Period 

I  III  I  and  III 


Indian  corn  silage 

11.3 

33.5 


10.6 
34.5 


Feed  Consumption  per  day,  lbs. 

Alfalfa  hay  9.9 

Indian  corn  silage  ..       35.5 

Sweet  sorghum  silage       

Concentrates   8.8  7.6                 8.2 

Body  weight,  lbs 1089  1124              1106 

Production  per  cow  and  per  day 

Milk,  lbs 24.4  20.9               22.7 

Solids,  lbs 3.27  2.81               3.04 

Solids,  per  cent 13.4  13.4               13.4 

Fat,  lbs 1.06  .89                 .975 

Fat,  per  cent 4.34  4.26               4.30 


Period 
II 

Sweet  sorghum 
silage 


9.8 


35.4 
8.4 
1098 

22.4 
2.96 

13.2 
.977 
4.36 


'ifference 
—  .8 


.3 

.08 

.2 

.002 

.06 


Table  XVI. — Composition  of  Rations,  in  Pounds 

Digestible 

Dry  Digestible  Carbohydrates  Nutr.  ratio, 

matter  matter  Protein         and  fat                1 : 

Period  I   (corn  silage)  26.1  17.5  2.33             15.5             6.6 

Period  III   (corn  silage)  25.7  17.1  2.37             15.0             6.3 

Average  25.9  17.3  2.35  15.2  6.5 

Period  II  (sweet  sorghum  silage)    24.4  15.7  2.26  13.5  6.0 

Returns  per  100  Pounds  Dry  Matter 

Milk                      Solids  Fat 

Period  I   (corn  silage) 93.5                   12.5  4.06 

Period  III   (corn  silage) 81.3                   10.9  3.46 

Average  87.4  11.7  3.76 

Period  II  (sweet  sorghum  silage)  91.8  12.1  4.00 

Difference    — 4.4  — .4  — .24 

In  per  cent 5  3  6 


The  differences  in  the  efficiency  of  the  two  silage  rations  for  milk 
production  as  shown  by  the  data  given  in  the  table  are  very  small, 
viz.,  about  5  per  cent,  indicating  that  the  sweet  sorghum  silage  has  a 
similar  or  slightly  higher  feeding  value  than  Indian  corn  silage.  This 
is  only  what  might  be  expected :  the  chemical  composition  of  the  two 
kinds  of  feed  is  very  nearly  the  same,  and  they  differ  but  slightly  in 
digestible  components,  nutritive  ratio,  acidity  contents  or  palatability. 
Hence  there  is  every  reason  to  accept  as  conclusive  the  result  of  the 
preceding  experiment  regarding  the  general  value  of  the  two  silages 
for  milk  production,  and  the  choice  of  the  crop  to  be  grown  for  the  silo 
may,  therefore,  be  decided  on  the  score  of  the  maximum  yields  of  feed 


38  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

materials  that  may  be  secured  and  the  labor  of  growing  the  crops 
under  the  special  conditions  of  each  locality. 


In  the  preceding  four  experiments  with  silage  crops,  the  influence 
of  feeding  silage  made  from  Indian  corn,  milo,  Sudan  grass,  and  sweet 
sorghum  to  dairy  cows  has  been  studied,  and  the  nutritive  effect  of 
rations  composed  of  these  silages  with  alfalfa  hay,  with  or  without 
accompanying  grain,  has  been  compared.  The  effect  of  the  introduc- 
tion of  corn  or  milo  silage  in  rations  made  up  of  either  alfalfa  alone 
or  alfalfa  and  concentrates  has  also  been  studied.  It  has  been  shown 
that  the  silage  increased  the  efficiency  of  the  alfalfa  rations,  as  judged 
from  the  amount  of  milk  produced  per  hundred  pounds  of  dry  matter 
eaten,  by  5  per  cent  and  11  per  cent  on  milo  and  Indian  corn  silage 
rations,  respectively,  while  the  production  of  milk  solids  or  butter  fat 
was  increased  by  about  10  per  cent  in  either  case.  On  the  other  hand, 
Indian  corn  silage  produced  about  10  per  cent  better  returns  per 
unit  of  dry  matter  in  the  rations  than  the  Sudan  grass  silage,  and 
sweet  sorghum  silage  produced  about  5  per  cent  better  returns  than 
Indian  corn  silage. 

A  study  of  the  data  presented  in  connection  with  the  various 
experiments  discloses  the  fact  that  the  increased  efficiency  of  the  silage 
rations  in  the  first  two  experiments  was  accompanied  by  a  widening 
of  the  nutritive  ratio  of  the  rations  fed,  in  the  first  experiment  from 
1 :3.9  to  1 :5.8,  and  in  the  second  experiment  from  1:4.3  to  1 :6.8.  The 
same  was  found  in  the  case  of  the  comparative  trial  of  Sudan  grass 
and  .corn  silages;  the  wider  nutritive  ratio,  1:5.8  (corn  silage  ration) 
proved  more  efficient  than  the  narrower  one,  1 :5.1  (Sudan  grass).  In 
the  case  of  the  sweet  sorghum-corn  silage  experiment,  a  somewhat 
improved  efficiency  was,  on  the  other  hand,  found  in  the  case  of  the 
ration  with  the  narrower  nutritive  ratio  (sweet  sorghum,  1:6.0;  In- 
dian corn,  1:6.5). 

The  evidence  seems  conclusive  as  to  the  improvement  of  alfalfa 
rations  of  narrow  nutritive  ratios  (about  1:4)  through  the  intro- 
duction of  silage  made  from  low-protein  crops,  like  Indian  corn  and 
milo;  even  the  ration  containing  Sudan  grass  silage  was  improved  in 
efficiency  when  this  silage  was  replaced  by  corn  silage  and  the  nutri- 
tive ratio  thereby  widened  from  1 :5.1  to  1 :5.8.  When  the  nutritive 
ratio  in  case  of  the  sweet-sorghum  silage  experiment  was  made  wider, 
however,  by  replacing  this  silage  by  Indian  corn  silage,  no  improve- 
ment in  returns  per  unit  of  dry  matter  eaten  was  obtained.      In  this 


TRIALS  WITH  CALIFORNIA  SILAGE  CROPS  FOR  DAIRY   COWS  39 

case  the  nutritive  effect  of  the  rations  was  approximately  the  same, 
or  slightly  in  favor  of  the  narrower  nutritive  ratio  (sweet  sorghum 
silage).  It  cannot  be  stated  definitely  from  the  evidence  furnished  by 
these  experiments  which  one  of  the  two  factors,  the  wider  nutritive 
ratio  or  the  succulency  of  the  silage  rations,  was  of  greater  importance 
in  improving  rations  composed  of  alfalfa  only  or  alfalfa  with  a  small 
amount  of  grain  feed.  Probably  both  contributed  in  a  measure  to 
the  result  obtained;  other  contributing  factors  may  have  been  the 
favorable  influence  of  the  silage  acids  on  the  digestion  and  health  of 
the  cows,  the  variety  of  protein  substances  furnished  in  the  corn,  etc. 
Numerous  feeding  experiments  with  dairy  cows  have  shown,  however, 
that  the  composition  of  the  rations,  so  far  as  the  relation  between  pro- 
tein and  starchy  components  goes,  is  a  most  important  factor  in 
influencing  the  milk  secretion  of  cows,  and  that  the  nutritive  ratio 
of  alfalfa  or  rations  made  up  essentially  of  this  crop  is,  as  a  general 
rule,  too  narrow  to  produce  the  best  results  as  regards  milk  secretion 
or  returns  for  feed  materials  consumed.  A  widening  of  the  nutritive 
ratio,  which  is  secured  through  the  addition  of  low-protein  grain  feeds 
or  roughage,  may,  therefore,  be  confidently  expected  to  bring  about 
an  improvement  in  the  results  obtained  with  the  dairy  herd.6 

Such  a  widening  of  the  nutritive  ratio  in  case  of  alfalfa  rations 
will  also  bring  these  closer  to  that  of  accepted  feeding  standards  for 
milch  cows.  These  are  the  outcome  of  studies  of  carefully  conducted 
feeding  experiments  in  which  the  effect  of  rations  of  varying  nutritive 
ratios  have  been  compared.  An  increasing  number  of  dairymen  in 
this  and  other  western  states  are  every  year  supplementing  alfalfa 
rations  for  their  cows  with  either  low-protein  concentrates  or  with 
silage  made  from  Indian  corn,  sorghum,  milo,  or  similar  crops,  a  fact 
that  furnishes  the  best  evidence  that  such  a  change  in  the  feeding 
practice  has  been  found  to  produce  good  and  economical  returns. 

The  preceding  remarks  should  not  be  interpreted  to  mean  that  the 
method  of  exclusive  alfalfa  feeding  to  dairy  cows  is  always  to  be 
avoided.  The  relative  prices  of  dairy  feeds  are  all-important,  and 
when  alfalfa  hay,  as  is  often  the  case  in  this  state,  is  the  cheapest 
forage  crop  available,  it  may  be  fed  to  advantage,  except  in  the  ease  of 
high-producing  dairy  cows  that  can  only  be  brought  to  a  maximum 
production  through  the  addition  of  concentrates  to  the  ration.  "Where 
low-protein  feeds  can  be  provided,  better  results  may  in  general  be 
secured  than  from  exclusive  alfalfa  feeding.  Such  low-protein  feeds 
can  be  supplied  more  cheaply  in  the  form  of  silage  from  Indian  corn, 

e  Bulletin  256,  California  Experiment  Station,  p.  444. 


40  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

sorghum  varieties,  Sudan  grass,  etc.,  than  grain  feeds  at  present  or 
prospective  market  prices  for  feeding  stuffs,  and  for  milk  cows  of 
average  or  only  fair  productive  capacities,  more  economical  results 
will  be  secured  by  introducing  them  as  a  supplement  to  the  alfalfa 
rations  than  by  feeding  grain.  Grain  feeds,  with  or  without  silage, 
will,  however,  be  found  necessary  in  order  to  secure  the  best  results 
in  the  case  of  good  dairy  cows,  both  amount  and  economy  of  produc- 
tion being  considered.  High-producing  cows  yield  the  largest  profit 
to  the  dairyman,  even  though  the  feed  they  eat  may  cost  considerably 
more  than  that  of  average  dairy  cows.7 


SUMMARY 

Experiments  with  silage  crops  conducted  at  the  University  Farm 
during  the  past  four  years  have  shown  that  average  yields  of  ten  to 
fifteen  tons  of  green  forage  may  be  secured  on  grain  land  receiving 
one  irrigation,  in  case  of  the  following  crops:  Indian  corn,  sweet 
sorghum,  milo,  feterita,  and  Sudan  grass.  When  cut  at  the  right  time 
(about  time  of  maturity  for  Indian  corn;  when  fully  matured  for  the 
other  crops)  and  carefully  packed  in  the  silo,  all  these  crops  and 
doubtless  other  forage  plants  belonging  to  the  same  families  will 
produce  silage  of  excellent  quality  and  palatability  and  will  furnish 
succulent  feed  of  special  value  for  feeding  dairy  and  beef  cattle,  as 
well  as  sheep,  during  late  summer  or  the  winter  season. 

Through  the  addition  of  Indian  corn  silage  or  milo  silage  to  rations 
of  alfalfa  hay,  or  alfalfa  with  grain  feeds,  an  increase  in  production 
amounting  to  10  to  25  per  cent  was  secured  in  feeding  experiments 
with  cows  in  the  University  dairy  herd,  and  the  efficiency  of  the 
rations  per  unit  of  dry  matter  furnished  was  improved  about  10  per 
cent.  Rations  of  alfalfa  hay,  with  or  without  grain  feeds,  supple- 
mented by  Indian  corn  silage,  Sudan  grass  silage,  or  sweet-sorghum 
silage,  produced  similar  amounts  of  milk  and  milk  components.  Per 
unit  of  dry  matter  furnished  in  the  rations,  those  containing  sweet 
sorghum  silage  proved  slightly  more  efficient  than  the  rations  contain- 
ing Indian  corn  silage,  which  in  turn  proved  about  10  per  cent  more 
efficient  than  the  rations  containing  Sudan  grass  silage. 


*  Wisconsin  Experiment   Station  Bulletin   226,   p.   24;    Research  Bulletin   26, 
p.  63;  Massachusetts  Station  Bulletin  145,  pp.  28-29. 


